Contract Negotiations underway

Exciting times for Brightlife as we begin contract negotiations with the service providers who’ve submitted the highest scoring bids for our next three key commissions – to be announced on 4th May:

Projects to Engage Older Men

Projects for People Living with Long Term Conditions and/or their carers

Dementia in Winsford and Chester

1: Projects to Engage Older Men

Age UK Cheshire – Winsford Super Shed
Age UK Cheshire is planning to take their highly successful Men in Sheds model to Winsford to create a ‘Super Shed’. It will be bigger than previous sheds, allowing for separate woodwork and metalwork spaces, a kitchen/mess room, quieter areas for IT equipment/classes and space for attendees to co-design new elements. It will also include space for a retail outlet, where the public can purchase and commission items made in the shed as part of a plan for sustainability.

Listening Ear – Men’s Health (project title to be co-designed)
The project aims to work with men aged 50+ who are isolated due to mental health issues resulting from major life changes. The men will receive 1:1 counselling for a period of time, before being encouraged to attend horticultural therapy sessions or being supported into other social activities available locally. The project will operate across Cheshire West and Chester.

2: Projects for People Living with Long Term Conditions and/or their carers

Cheshire and Warrington Carers Trust – Connecting Carers

The project aims to work with carers aged 50+ who are experiencing social isolation as a result of their caring role and in particular with those who are coming/have come to the end of their time as carers (due to bereavement/the person they’re caring for moving into a care home etc). They will be supported to access local activities and services. The project will operate across Cheshire West and Chester.

Neuromuscular Centre – Connect Up

The Neuromuscular Centre is planning to work with people aged 50+ living with long term conditions that fall under the umbrella of a neuromuscular condition and/or their carers. Participants will be able to attend workshops to understand and deal with isolation and loneliness and helped to access new and existing activities offered by the centre. Most of the delivery will take place at the centre in Winsford but will be open to any eligible participants from across Cheshire West and Chester.

3: Dementia in Winsford and Chester

Cheshire and Warrington Carers Trust in collaboration with The Alzheimer’s Society and Age UK Cheshire

This project will aim to reduce isolation and loneliness for people living with dementia and their carers in Winsford and Brightlife’s social prescribing areas in Chester. It will involve the creation of new activities, as well as training and support for existing activities, services and businesses to become dementia inclusive. The project is fully user led in all aspects and aims to change the culture around attitudes to dementia in these communities.